


Arthur's Poisoned Chalice

by derekstilinski



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Episode: s01e04 The Poisoned Chalice, M/M, Merthur - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-13
Updated: 2012-12-13
Packaged: 2017-11-21 00:55:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/591615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/derekstilinski/pseuds/derekstilinski
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A small Merthur-centered re-write of s1e4.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Arthur's Poisoned Chalice

“He’s struggling to breathe.”

Arthur doesn’t want to panic right now. But… He’s panicking. He’s really panicking. He’s laying a very unresponsive Merlin down onto the cot in Gaius’ chambers. He drank the poison. He saved Arthur’s life again. He kneels down at his side while Gwen and Gaius look over him, scattering around to try and help, diagnose.

He’s not supposed to show this much affection to a servant, much less another man, but he can’t help himself. He takes Merlin’s limp hand in his, “Is he gonna be alright?”

“He’s burning up,” Gaius tells him.

“You can cure him, can’t you, Gaius?” Gwen hands the man a damp cloth and sets down the water bucket.

“I won’t know until I can identify the poison,” He sets the cloth on Merlin’s forehead, “Hand me the goblet.”

Arthur watches Merlin closely, trying to breathe. This would have been him. But Merlin just had to care too much. He tightens his hold on his hand, whatever Gaius and Gwen are discussing falling on deaf ears. Merlin’s chest is rising and falling and while he’s thankful for that, it’s sputtering, little gasps and uncomfortable movements. Arthur doesn’t like it one bit. He’s going to get whoever did this. It will either be a warning to everyone else, or an avenging.

“…Aw, the petal comes from the Mauritius flower. It says here that some poisoned by the Mauritius can only be saved by a potion made from the leaf of the very same flower,” Gaius is explaining. There is hope. Merlin can be saved, “It can only be found in the caves deep beneath the forest of Ballad…”

And well, that’s where Arthur’s going to have to go. He _has_ to. It’s Merlin here. He reaches up and pushes Merlin’s hair from his forehead when Gwen dips the cloth in water again. There’s risks to going, he can hear Gaius naming them off, and where the flower is, and how someone could easily die if they went. And yes, it’s dangerous, it’s extremely dangerous. But he looks at Merlin, fingers twitching around his and pained face.

He’s going to get that damn flower leaf.

“Few who have crossed the mountains of Isgard in search of the Mauritius flower have made it back alive.” Gaius reads from the book and stands up straighter, great worry evident on his face.

Arthur’s quiet for a few moments, looking over Merlin’s face. Then, “Sounds like fun.” He stands to leave, get ready and go. He doesn’t know how much time Merlin has.

“Arthur, it’s too dangerous.” Gaius says matter-of-factly. And Arthur knows.

“If I don’t get the antidote, what happens to Merlin?” He asks, feeling as if he already knows his fate.

“The Mauritius induces a slow and painful death,” Gaius says, looking at him like he’s transparent. He can see how attached he’s grown to Merlin, and Arthur can’t bring himself to care in this moment. “He may hold out four… Maybe five days, but not for much longer. Eventually, he will die.”

And he’s looking back at Merlin, pale and shaking slightly, ragged breaths. He may as well just disregard there are other people in the room because Merlin needs to hear it, to hold on. He kneels down and touches Merlin’s knuckles, gliding over the back of his hand with his fingertips, “You’ve saved me too many times already, and it’s my turn now. You’ve put yourself in my place again, traded your life for mine. And if you die before I return, I’ll kill you. Do you understand me?”

Merlin gasps quietly, brow wrinkled in pain, and turns his head toward him just so. Arthur nods, “Yeah.”

Then he gets up and swiftly makes his way out, not giving Gwen or Gaius a second look.

—

After he’s let out from the castle jail and has had a talk with Morgana and his father - to which both ended well - he’s trying not to run and see if Merlin’s okay. He knows he’s okay, of course. No one has said anything of a death in the castle, and Gwen smiled at him as she walked past in the corridor. Merlin is fine, and that’s fantastic.

He’s not sure who helped him, or even how anyone knew he was in danger in the cave, but that little ball of light. It strengthened him, it guided him to safety. He blesses whoever did that, even if it seemed like an act of magic. It saved his life and Merlin’s. That’s not a bad thing, that magic was used for good.

He finds himself walking down to Gaius’ room in the evening because he can’t take it any longer. He has to see with his own eyes that Merlin is alive and well. He slips into the room quietly, giving a small nod in greeting and thanks to Gaius, then turning his attentions to Merlin, who has a thin blanket wrapped loosely around his shoulders, looking a bit weak but very much alive.

He wants to bundle him up in the blanket, make sure he’s comfortable, but instead takes and deep breath and says, “Still alive, then?”

Merlin turns and smiles at him immediately, stuttering over his words a bit, “Um… Yeah, just about,”

Arthur goes over and puts his hand on the back of the chair, leaning toward Merlin just a bit. He’s aware how there’s a smile tugging at his lips even if he’s trying to hold it back. He knows how fondly he’s looking at him.

“I-I understand… I have you to thank for that.”

He wants to lean down and hold him tight, tell him never to do anything stupid ever again. But he’s Merlin, so it’s very probable that he will even without meaning to. He turns his head away, deciding to look across the room aimlessly, “Yeah, well… It was nothing. A half-decent servant is hard to come by,”

He looks back down at him then, just to see the expression, and Merlin chuckles quietly before turning his head away. Merlin knows he cares, knows he cares so much for him. And he’s a bit bashful about it, looking to his hands in his lap because he doesn’t know what to say. Arthur looks him over closely and confesses, “I was only dropping by to make sure you’re alright,”

Merlin’s still got his smile and it widens a little more. He reaches out and quickly touches his cheek while Gaius has his back turned.

“Sure you’ll be back to work tomorrow.” He finishes, giving a look as he turns away to leave. An _I’m going to kiss you in my chambers and not let you leave my sight_. He brushes along Merlin’s jaw with his fingertips as he goes.

“Oh yeah, yeah. Of course. Uh, bright and early.”

Arthur gives another nod, a goodbye and another thank you, “Gaius.”

He feels at ease now, seeing that Merlin’s up and eating, not so pale as before and breathing evenly. He can breathe better himself knowing he’s alright.

“Arthur,” Merlin’s voice stops him at the door and he turns, getting another good look at him. Merlin gives a strong and sincere, “Thank you.”

He pauses for a moment with his lips parted, then says, “You, too.” And he wants to take a moment, just like Merlin is, to just see him. Just takes him in for a few seconds. He won’t see him again until the morning and he doesn’t want to. He wants him to sleep. To keep Merlin from wandering into his room tired and weak tonight he adds, “Get some rest.”

Merlin pulls the blanket tighter around himself like Arthur wanted to for him, gives a smile and nod in promise that he will. And that just makes Arthur’s walk back to his own room easier.


End file.
